Tenant farmers must not be collateral damage in trees push

Tenant farmers should not be the collateral damage in the rush to plant more trees, George Dunn chief executive of the Tenant Farmers Association has warned. His comment followed Forestry Minister Lord Zac Goldsmith's announcement that 3,150 hectares of trees will be planted along England's riverbanks and watercourses by March 2025 to boost water quality, biodiversity and help manage flood risk. Carried out by the 'Riverscapes' Partnership, comprising of experts from The Rivers Trust, National Trust, Woodland Trust and Beaver Trust, the 'Woodlands for Water' project will take place in six river catchment areas from Devon to Cumbria and forms the next step in the Government's England Trees Action Plan to treble tree planting rates by the end of this Parliament. Recognising this type of planting will have the least impact on the productive capacity of holdings and maximise wider benefits, Mr Dunn was keen to ensure tenant farmers will not be disenfranchised from taking part due to legislative and contractual barriers. "Under tenancy agreements, trees are often reserved to landlords and tenants are usually restricted from planting trees on their holdings," he said. "We are also concerned that landlords may resume possession of land previously let out to tenant farmers to take advantage of planting grants themselves, removing land from the tenanted sector and making individual farms less resilient and sustainable." It is understood farmers and landowners can apply for funding through the England Woodland Creation Offer (EWCO) grant. But Mr Dunn added tree planting grants under the EWCO should not be available to landlords who wish to plant trees on land currently occupied by or resumed from tenant farmers without first gaining their consent. Rewarding Reiterating the importance of planting the right tree in the right place, NFU countryside adviser Alisha Anstee said it was important that farmers who voluntary engage with this project were fairly rewarded for the multitude of public goods they will deliver. Encouraging private owners to make the most of grants offered through the EWCO, CLA president Mark Bridgeman said: "They cover the costs of planting, provide flexibility on what you can plant and where and there are financial incentives for delivering public benefits."It is schemes like this which are key to achieving biodiversity recovery." Year-round applications for FE’s Woodland Creation SchemeFarmers, landowners and public bodies will be able to apply for the Forestry England Woodland Partnership, which offers long-term rental income in return for a minimum 50-hectare lease, all-year-round following a high number of applicants. Initially launched in March 2021 with a three-month application window, the move will see now the organisation regularly assess applications throughout the year. It also ties into to their aim of creating at least 2,000 hectares of predominantly broadleaf woodland in the next five years. It will sit alongside other grants and incentives available for woodland creation, including the England Woodland Creation Offer, the Woods into Management Forestry Innovation Funds and the Local Authority Treescapes Fund. Find more information at forestryengland.uk/woodland-creation.